01 February 2023 , 08:21
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Ryan Reynolds struggled to get to grips with the pronunciation of Wrexham 's new signing Eoghan O'Connell.
The Welsh side, who currently sit top of the National League as they eye a return to the Football League, added the centre-half on deadline day. O'Connell was signed from Charlton for an undisclosed fee and could make his debut this weekend against Altrincham.
Reynolds is co-owner of Wrexham and his commitment to the club was recently on show as the club battled to a 3-3 draw with Sheffield United in the FA Cup. The Hollywood star is heavily invested, but was filmed as he attempted to pronounce the Irish name of the new signing.
O'Connell's first name - not spelt how it sounds - is a traditional spelling in his homeland of the English name Owen, and is phonetically pronounced Oh-in. But after several attempts, Reynolds' co-owner Rob McElhenney questioned why he found it so hard to pronounce. "It is so easy," said McElhenney before adding: "Why is it so hard for you to pronounce Irish names."
Reynolds had a confused look on his face as he tried to say the name as it was spelt - albeit with little success - with his failed efforts posted on social media.
Wrexham boss details scale of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's involvement
The 27-year-old defender, who began his career with Celtic, has played with the likes of Bury, Rochdale and the Addicks. O'Connell has spoken about his move, citing the ambition of the club as a huge draw with promotion Wrexham's main target this term.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Can Wrexham make it to the Premier League under Reynolds and McElhenney's ownership? Let us know in the comments below.
He said: “It’s a Club on the up. It’s an exciting part of the season to come in, and the lads have done well to get us to this point. I know what it’s like coming to the end of the season, targeting promotion, when the pressure’s on so I’m really looking forward to it. The ambition of the Club, with the manager and players here, is obviously promotion so I’ll throw myself in and see how I can contribute to it.”
His new manager, Phil Parkinson, added: “I’m very pleased, Eoghan is a very strong signing for us, we had the disappointment of losing a couple of players over the weekend, but it was important we acted quickly. He has a lot of experience at a high level and he will bring a lot of quality to the team.
"The last two days have been long searching for the player we felt could make the difference for us and I’d like to thank the Co-Chairmen for their support in bringing in Eoghan to the club.”
Wrexham's next big day out will be a trip to Bramall Lane. Their replay against the Blades comes after their dramatic draw at the weekend with the non-league outfit eyeing a spot in the fifth round and a home tie against Premier League giants Tottenham.